TOP 16 ALBUMS: THE SLUDGELORD'S SOUR 16 (August / September 2018)

Allow yourself to indulge in a hefty dose of riffs; because it is time to present 16 of the best albums from August & September, it is time for your SOUR 16. 

You know the drill by now, every couple of months you the reader are unwittingly compiling a list of the top16 records, covering all genres of metal.  Is it not a chart, in which reviewers or contributors extol their opinion about their favourite music.  To put it simply, THE SOUR 16 are the records that have been trending the most at SLUDGELORD HQ.

The results are compiled based on the amount of page views the reviews have received and are then calibrated into the list below.  All reviews can be viewed by clicking the artwork and we have included album streams wherever possible. (Total views since their publication are highlighted brackets)

16). Craft, “White Noise and Black Light” (387)

15). Clutch, “Book of Bad Decisions” (399)

14). Satan, “Cruel Magic” (425)

13). 1968, “Ballads of the Godless” (437)

12). Organ Dealer/Nerve Grind/Invertebrate, “Split” (442)

11). Allfather, “And All Will Be Desolation” (481)

10). Chubby Thunderous Bad Kush Masters, “Come & Chutney” (503)

9). Brant Bjork, “Mankind Woman” (549)

8). Forming The Void, “Rift” (550)

7). Sumac, “Love in Shadow” (662)

6). Thou, “Magus” (791)

5). The Secret, “Lux Tenebris” (1100)

4). Kurokuma, “Dope Rider” (1272)

3). Conan, “Existential Void Guardian” (1910)

2). Famye, “Famyne” (2561)

1). KEN mode, “Loved” (2776)

REVIEW: The Secret, "Lux Tenebris" EP

By: Chris Bull

Album Type: EP

Date Released: 31/08/2018

Label: Southern Lord Recordings

“Lux Tenebris” is absolutely terrifying in its delivery and atmosphere, by the time the slower riff of “Cupio Dissolvi’ cascades into the ether, you’ll begin to wonder whether you’ve listened to an EP or been sacrificed to a dark entity.

“Lux Tenebris” DD//LP track listing:

1). Vertigo

2). The Sorrowful Void

3). Cupio Dissolvi

The Review:

Italians The Secretare a band that are difficult to pigeonhole. Equal parts blackened hardcore, sludgy crust and nihilistic grind, with a pinch of apocalyptic doom for good measure, they seem to get heavier...and indeed better, with each new release. So it comes as no surprise that ‘Lux Tenebris’ the new 3 track EP is a maelstrom of hell fire and fury.

From the slow build of 'Vertigo' with its evil melodies penetrating the methodical black magic ceremony within, it switches gears as it struggles to contain the raging beast that is 'The Sorrowful Void'. Absolutely terrifying in its delivery and atmosphere, the track takes no prisoners and the blastbeat halfway through is almost a respite from the oppressive nature of the music.

Closer ‘Cupio Dissolvi’ is probably the blackest and nastiest the band have ever sounded; the tremolo riffs, blasts and d-beats create a magnanimous and utterly filthy piece of music that stands out among this year’s releases. By the time the slower riff cascades into the ether, you’ll begin to wonder whether you’ve listened to an EP or been sacrificed to a dark entity.

“Lux Tenebris” is available here

Band info: bandcamp|| facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Hierophant - "Mass Grave"

By: Charlie Butler

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 04/11/2016

Label: Season of Mist

Hierophant can make a strong claim for angriest LP of 2016 with “Mass Grave”. The Italian wrecking crew have created a concentrated ball of molten rage and fury that will level everything its path.  This is a gloriously ugly racket that makes a suitable soundtrack for the current state of the world.

“Mass Grave” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1. Hymn of Perdition
2. Execution of Mankind
3. Forever Crucified
4. Mass Grave
5. Crematorium
6. In Decay
7. Sentenced to Death
8. Hierophant
9. Trauma
10. Eternal Void

The Review:

Hierophant can make a strong claim for angriest LP of 2016 with “Mass Grave”. The Italian wrecking crew have created a concentrated ball of molten rage and fury that will level everything its path

“Hymn of Perdition” establishes an air of grim anticipation with a cloud of ominous drone and dark samples. The mood is soon shattered by the 39 second piledriver that is “Execution of Mankind”. A fearsome hybrid of grindcore and death metal, drowning under a river of sludge, it’s a succinct distillation of Hierophant’ssound.

There is no let-up in intensity during the course of “Mass Grave” but the variations in attack make the onslaught all the more compelling. The title track sees the band easing up slightly on the throttle to allow elements of doomy grandeur to seep into the foreground. “Sentenced To Death” sees the tempo almost grind to a halt, a sickening chug that sees Hierophant’s sludgy tendencies given free reign.

Most punishing of all is “Eternal Void” which provides a skull-crushing finale to the album. Built around an insistent, sledgehammer riff that opens and closes the track, it is a breathless assault on the senses. There is a brief pause for breath midway through but this only serves to magnify the building-levelling power of the subsequent devastation. 

“Mass Grave” is a short but far from sweet statement from Hierophant. This is a gloriously ugly racket that makes a suitable soundtrack for the current state of the world.

“Mass Grave” is available here

Band info: facebook || bandcamp

FFO: The Secret, Celeste, All Pigs Must Die, Abaton